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Saga 12- Mutiny, and Fidelity


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#1 Guest_Daie_*

Posted 23 May 2006 - 03:49 PM

Raven looked up from her map as Dranald and his three cronies filed into the tent.
“What do you want Dranald, I’m a busy woman.”
She was. She was busy trying to plan the quickest way to Shadowdale, so that Minstra, Maron, Daie and she could leave the next day. She would have to speak to the young man about it that night, but she’d been putting this off for obvious reasons, but she would tonight, she promised herself.
The half-orc chuckled, and drew his mace.
Raven breathed in slowly. “So you finally plucked up the courage to try it. It’s certainly taken you long enough. I thought I’d die of old age before you got around to mutiny.”
“Running this company is no job for a woman. It needs a strong hand. Mine. Give me command.”
“No. This is my company, it has been since Danon died, and named me heir, and will be till I die and name mine.”

Dranald chuckled, and his minions moved to surround Raven. “Then you had better name an heir quickly.”
“So be it!” cried Raven, drawing her sword, and leaping at Dranald. She swatted him around the head with the flat of sword, knowing that it would take her a while to remove the sword from his body if she stabbed, and flew out of the tent.

The first thing she noticed was that the camp was engaged in a pitched battle. Evidently Dranald had a larger following than she had expected. She cursed herself for under-estimating him. Her senses had been dulled recently, concentrating on another matter. Still, that was no excuse. Where she still in Menzoberranzan, she would be dead now, and it would be her own fault.

Dranald’s men followed her from the tent, drawing their own weapons, and bellowing their war cries. Raven bellowed loud orders at her section, and Minstra and Maron appeared from their tents, took one look at the scene, and began to chant simultaneously. Raven looked around hurriedly. Was that it? Where was Daie and where were the other soldiers of her squad?

One of Dranald’s men, a bearded human screamed in agony as insects swarmed over his body, and into his ears, nostrils and mouth, eating him from the inside out. Minstra smiled cruelly, and fetched her druid’s staff.
Another, a half-orc this time, saw a huge, bone white finger touch him upon the forehead, and cried out as his soul was ripped from his body. This time, it was Maron’s turn to draw her warhammer, and leap into the fray.
Raven had no time for spells, as three opponents faced off against her. She dispatched one with a kick to the groin, before cloving his head in twain with a well-timed sword blow.

Another was killed when Minstra’s staff struck the back of his neck, snapping his spine like a dry biscuit. The third proved a wilier opponent, dodging and parrying time and time again, before swinging his scimitar into Raven’s side, opening her armour, and opening her torso. She didn’t recognise the man, a small white haired human with a cocky smile. Evidently he was someone Dranald had taken on without her knowledge. She blanched, and collapsed, hitting the ground hard. Fortunately, a hammer-blow from Maron sent the man spinning, one leg crippled beyond repair.
However, Dranald knocked her to the ground with a mighty blow of his greatmace, and he came to stand over Raven, smiling broadly.
“And here it ends Miss d'Malkin. Bleeding on the floor like a dying dog. Say hello to Danon for me.” He said, raising his mace for the coup de grace. Raven reached out for her sword, but it was out of reach. Instead, she snarled defiantly at the half orc. “Finish it, wael!”

A black arrow thudded into Dranald’s chest, ripping through his plate mail armour as if it were paper.
“Wha…” he asked before another plunged into his shoulder.
A cloaked figure leapt down from a tree, and stepped into sight.
“Daie?” breathed Raven.
Daie smiled, and fired another arrow into Dranald’s chest.
The half-orc fell to the floor, his metal armour screeching as its owner achieved a limpness that humanoids shouldn’t be able to.
Daie came to stand over him, and arrow pointing straight at his face.
“Didn’t I kill you?” asked Dranald.
Daie shook his head.
“Not quite” he said softly, and released the string.

Dranald’s head rolled back with the force of the arrow stuck in his forehead.

Daie nocked and fired again, and again, his face cold and emotionless.

Raven gasped slightly at the shock of Daie’s outburst. She hadn’t thought him capable of this kind of behaviour. Her gasp tore Daie from his vengeful attack, and he leapt to her side, mistaking it for a whimper of pain
He checked her wound. “That needs healing.”
She groaned. Daie quickly stripped off her armour, and placed a hand either side of her wound. He called upon one of his few ranger spells, and felt the healing magic close the wound, and stop the bleeding.
Raven sighed, and closed her eyes.
“Sleep now” whispered Daie, carrying her back to her tent.

Daie stood outside her tent, his weapons sheathed at his sides, watching the moon rise. He muttered a quick prayer, and felt the rush of magic as Selune granted him his spells again. The camp had been cleaned, the bodies burnt. Fortunately, under half of the company had been under Dranald’s sway, and he had spent the whole day guarding Raven’s tent from the mutineers. With Dranald dead, and so early, the mutineers had lost heart, and many had tried to run. Tried. They’d quickly discovered that arrows fly faster than demi-humans. It was almost sad that they’d had no time to use this knowledge. Daie had also discovered how quickly an enraged elf could fire. Maron, Minstra and the other commanders had cleared the camp by nightfall. Those who remained loyal that is. To their shock, one of Dranald’s lieutenants, a human named Janax had remained loyal to Raven d’Malkin, and had helped drive out the rebels.

The battles had depleted the loyal contingent, and now only a hundred and twenty remained of the once proud company of two hundred. There were no songs of victory, no celebrations. Many had had to kill friends today, all for a half-orc and his ambition. Daie sighed. Raven had slept the whole day, her body recovering from its grievous wound. The healing spells had greatly sped up the recovery process, but she would have to be careful for a few days, and she certainly wouldn’t be fighting for a while, he’d make sure of that. He had left Minstra and Maron and company nursing their guilt, guilt he did not feel, for he had not killed anyone he cared for that day, and his horror at taking lives had been covered by his anger at his own and Raven’s plight. In short, he was too angry that the mutineers had endangered Raven’s life to care about theirs.

He heard a rustling behind himself, and Raven emerged from her tent. She looked pale, especially for a member of her dark-skinned race, but otherwise as beautiful as ever. She was wearing a thin white nightgown, and he could see the heavy bandages beneath it, covering the left side of her stomach. She saw him, and headed over to stand beside him.

They stood for a moment, her looking down at the ground, him looking over at her. A few seconds passed, before she turned, and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself close to him, and burying her head in his shoulder.
He put his arm around her, surprised, and held her tightly while stroking her back.

“Why?” She whispered into his neck, her cool breath tickling him.

Daie sighed deeply. Because you kissed me that night? Because you drive me wild? Because I love you?
She tensed, and looked up at him. He’d said it out loud, as well as thought it.
“You do? But, I thought… the other night?” She straightened, and looked up into his eyes, her face like stone, a look she’d used often in Menzoberranzan. He suddenly felt so small, beneath her steady calculating gaze.
“I was shocked. I didn’t think you would…”

“Do this?” she asked. He looked puzzled for a moment before she raised her mouth up to his. His eyes widened again.
She held her lips on his for a moment, looking into his eyes, searching for any hint of mistrust, or betrayal there. After the day’s events, her faith in surfacers was shaken, but she needed this. She found nothing there but shock, and joy. She took a deep breath through her nose, and opened her mouth, slipping her tongue between Daie’s lips.
Daie felt his knees tremble. Not now! They wobbled again, and gave way, sending him plummeting to the ground, pulling Raven down with him. She landed atop of him, with a soft thump, and she recoiled, looking as if she’d been attacked for a moment, before calming, and giving him a faintly mocking smile.
“Well, well darthiir.” She chuckled.
He gave her a sheepish smile.

Raven leant down again, her face almost touching his. He looks like a frightened animal, she thought. She suddenly thrust her face forward, and licked his lips. He quivered as her tongue swept across his face, and she grinned with delight. She got to her feet, taking hold of his lapels, pulling him up easily.
“Come male; let us continue this in more private surroundings.” Raven let go of his tunic, and stepped back into her tent, her eyes never leaving his. He followed, and had only just cleared the tent flap before she let it drop, and swept him into her arms, and was kissing him again.

Daie found it hard to kiss her, as he couldn’t remove the dreamy smile from his face, but it disappeared quickly enough when he realised that she had managed to remove his tunic without him noticing. Raven stepped back, and unbuttoned her pale shift, opening it, revealing her naked chest to him.

He staggered back, covering his eyes with his forearm. “Raven? What are you doing?”
She gently pulled his arm away. “What is wrong, Daie?”
“You…Why are you undressing?”
She gave him a bemused smile. “You would rather we remained clothed? Very well.”
“Wait, what do you think is going to happen?” He felt a sinking feeling. This isn’t going where I think it is, is it, his mind was asking.
“We will couple.” She was stating a fact, rather than making a request.
“What? No, I can’t.” Guess I was right. This is moving too fast, he thought.
“Why not? You have said you find me attractive, I believe I have made my own intentions clear. What is wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s just, this is so fast. “
She sighed. “Darthiir, do not make me beg.”

He was almost floored by this. “What?”
“I…I need to be with someone tonight. After today’s betrayals, I need to feel safe.”
“Raven, you’re crying!”

She sniffed, trying desperately to keep the tears from flowing. She could scarcely believe she was admitting this to him. In the Underdark, admitting this kind of weakness would earn her a dagger between the ribs. She hadn’t cried since her first night on the surface, her first night in that alien world. Her aunt and younger sister had been with her then, but Daie was here now, able to comfort her differently.
She had to constantly remind herself that this was not Menzoberranzan. She was safe here, she could trust Daie. Still, she was badly shaken, and the throbbing in her side was a reminder that betrayal was never far from the drow.

“I need to be with someone” she repeated “I need to be with you.”
Daie laid a hand on her arm. “Raven. I. I cannot.”
“Please, Daie. If you will not be with me, will you at least stay here, and hold me tonight?”
He nodded gravely. “Of course. That I will do.”
She gave him a melancholy smile. “Thank you Daie.”
Raven took him in her arms, and gently lowered them both to the ground, pulling her blankets over them both.
Daie wrapped his arms around her waist, avoiding the heavy bandage there, and gently rubbed her back, until at last, she fell asleep, her head resting on his chest.




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